Not Just Tight Hamstrings: Why Your Low Back Hurts When You Run

If you’re a runner dealing with nagging low back pain, chances are someone’s told you it’s just “tight hamstrings.” Maybe you’ve been stretching, foam rolling, or doing yoga and still, the ache is there mile after mile.

Tight hamstrings aren’t always the problem. And stretching them more isn’t always the fix.

Low back pain in runners is common, but it’s rarely simple. It’s usually a sign that something upstream or downstream in your movement system isn’t doing its job. That might be your gait mechanics, core control, neural mobility, or a combination of all three.

It’s Not Just a Flexibility Issue

A lot of runners get locked into the idea that their back hurts because their hamstrings are short and tight. While hamstrings can contribute to low back tension, stretching alone doesn’t address the deeper problem: why those muscles are working so hard in the first place.

Low back pain often comes down to:

• Poor load transfer through the pelvis and trunk

• Lack of core coordination, not just “weak abs”

• Limited hip extension or rotation

• Altered running gait mechanics, especially over long distances

  
  

Research in sports biomechanics shows that runners with poor lumbopelvic control are at higher risk for both back and lower extremity injuries. In other words, if your core, hips, and spine aren’t working as a team, your back takes the load.

Let’s Talk About Gait

Running gait is often overlooked when someone complains of back pain. But if your stride is too long, your posture collapses with fatigue, or you lack hip extension, your lumbar spine will start absorbing force it was never designed to handle.

This is where gait analysis becomes valuable not just for speed, but for injury prevention. At Precision Performance, or other running clinics, gait assessment is used to look at things like:

• Pelvic position during stance and toe-off

• Trunk rotation and arm swing

• Glute timing and stride symmetry

  
  

You don’t have to be injured to benefit from gait retraining you just need to want to run longer without pain.

What About Nerve Mobility?

Another overlooked piece of the puzzle is neural mobility, particularly of the sciatic nerve. That “tightness” you feel in your hamstrings might not be muscular at all. It could be neural tension limiting your range, making your back compensate with every stride.

Runners with restricted neural mobility often report vague tightness, pulling in the back of the leg, or stiffness that doesn’t improve with stretching. Incorporating nerve glides or dynamic neural mobility drills (like the ones in the RUNsource App) can help restore healthy tension and reduce back discomfort.

So… What Should You Actually Do?

• Don’t just stretch your hamstrings.

• Focus on core control, breathe mechanics, deep core stability

• Get your gait evaluated (Precision has online and in person options)

• Address mobility at the hips and nerves, not just muscles.

• Stop chasing pain. Start chasing patterns.

  
  

In RUNsource, you’ll find:

• Gait-focused strength and mobility sessions

• Core circuits that translate to better trunk control

• Nerve mobility exercises

• A lower back pain program with exercises and education

• Educational content that helps you actually understand what’s going on

  
  

If your low back hurts when you run, it’s not because you skipped a hamstring stretch. It’s because your system: core, hips, legs, and nerves isn’t coordinating the way it should under repetitive load.

Don’t treat symptoms. Fix the pattern.Start with awareness. Build with intention.And if you need help doing that, RUNsource has you covered.

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